To Those Who Would Achieve Greatness
by DragonKingDragneel25
Summary: "There is a saying, 'To those who would achieve greatness, they must embrace their faults, face their fears, and conquer their doubts.' The goals you all want to accomplish are very lofty. Are you three sure you want to do this?" They nodded without hesitation.
1. Chapter 1

**To Those Who Would Achieve Greatness**

**An: **Soooooo, this is my first Naruto fic. Enjoy! This takes place just after the Battle of the Bridge in the Wave Arc.

**Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO!**

* * *

**Chapter 1- **_To Those Who Would Achieve Greatness_

It was three days since the fight with Zabuza and Haku, and Naruto couldn't have felt better. He finally had something he had been striving for. Recognition, acceptance, just to name a few. He could walk through the streets of Wave and people would smile at him. They would shake his hand and thank him.

But on the other side of the spectrum, he felt…empty. He may have had people staring at him like he was a human being, but it wasn't his own people. The people of the Hidden Leaf Village. _That's _who he wanted to accept him. It didn't feel right to have a village accept you when your own didn't. Or, that's what Naruto felt, at least.

Currently, he was lounging on a branch in the woods surrounding Tazuna's house. He was thinking about several things at once. The last three days he'd been thinking a lot, about what Haku said, the fight itself, the damn fox sealed inside him, the people of Wave, the Leaf Village…those being the prominent topics in his mind.

"So, this is where you've been hiding out, eh Naruto?" Kakashi's voice broke Naruto out of his train of thought. He looked down and saw his sensei standing at the base of the tree with his perverted book in his hand, as per usual.

"Oh, hey Kakashi sensei," Naruto said blandly as he jumped from his perch and landed beside the masked Jonin.

Kakashi looked at his student curiously. "You're not as chipper as you usually are. Something on your mind, Naruto?" he asked.

"Uh, actually, Kakashi sensei, yeah. I do," Naruto said rubbing the back of his head sheepishly.

"Well, what is it?"

"Just….I've thought a lot about a lot of stuff the past three days and….I just wonder if everything I've done up to this point is worth it."

"What do you mean?" Kakashi lilted his head to the side.

"People here in Wave look at me like I'm somebody. A person. But back home, all anyone sees is the damn fox sealed inside my gut, not me." Naruto sighed. "Since I became a ninja, I thought that I would finally be looked at like I belonged, not like I was trash that didn't desire to breathe the same air as everybody else. I understand changing someone's opinion takes time, but…I don't know anymore, Kakashi sensei. I know I'm not a very good ninja. I've skipped out on classes back at the Academy, sometimes just been kicked out of important lessons. I'm lousy at Taijutsu, the only Ninjutsu I know is the **Shadow Clone Jutsu** and the **Sexy Jutsu **I developed, and I'm terrible at Genjutsu." He looked at his sensei and asked, "What do you think, sensei? About all this?"

Kakahsi sighed and put his book away. He never expected this from Naruto, but he shouldn't be surprised. He knew it was only a matter of time before Naruto started to doubt himself. Going from a social outcast to a hero can do that to a person. "I'm not going to lie to you Naruto. You've been given a very big burden to bear. I can only imagine what it's like to have the Nine Tailed Fox sealed inside you, and even then I probably couldn't comprehend it. It's only natural you begin to doubt yourself after what you've been through. I'm surprised you haven't done it already."

He chuckled humorlessly. "Yes, your Taijutsu is bad, but from what I've read in your file, it's highly possible Mizuki just taught you the wrongs katas for the Academy style while you were in there. You being sabotaged during that time didn't help either. Your Ninjutsu could use some expanding, and the only reason you, for lack of better word, suck at Genjutsu is because you have so much chakra and not enough control.

"However, you've proven to be a decent tactician in battle by utilizing the environment around you to your advantage." Naruto blushed at the praise. "Not to mention, you are a master of stealth. The ANBU initiates' first test was usually tracking you down after you pulled a prank."

Naruto looked up at that. "Really? I'm that good?" he asked.

Kakashi chuckled. "You would think that after you started wearing that jumpsuit of yours would make you stand out more, but you somehow could disappear without a trace," he told the blonde shinobi. Naruto beamed at that.

"Anyway, you've also proven you have an enormous amount of chakra by spamming off Shadow clones left and right. No one else could produce the amount of Clones you can, Naruto. Combine that with your unorthodox fighting style, you could be an excellent shinobi in the future." Naruto grinned his usual grin. "And out of curiosity, I've noticed a bit of the Gentle Fist and the Interceptor Fist in your style. Care to explain?"

"Well," Naruto drawled, "I, uh, kinda would watch the others in my class fight, and when I saw something I like, I would it out for myself."

Kakashi's eye widened slightly. "You replicated certain katas of two of the most difficult Taijutsus in the Leaf by simply watching the kids in your class spar?"

"Well, remembering the stances is only one part of the problem," Naruto explained. "The main difficulty is performing it as flawlessly as Sasuke or Hinata did. With Hinata, it was easier because her style was more rigid and stiff. Sasuke's is more difficult because his are more…fluid, ya' know? He moves more often and the attacks flow together better."

Kakashi was amazed. No one short of an Uchiha could do something like that, and the Uchiha could never replicate _any _of the Hyuga's Gentle Fist. But Naruto admitted he could replicate it without much trouble! Kakashi kind of felt bad he never taught him and the other members of Team 7 anything other than tree walking. If he'd confronted Naruto sooner, he could've made Team 7 _the _team to beat in the Leaf Village!

Kakashi wasn't the only one amazed. Sasuke had been walking through the woods for a bit of peace and quiet when he came up on Naruto and Kakashi. He didn't give it much thought until he heard Naruto say something about having a 'damn fox sealed in his gut.' His interests were peaked and he snuck closer, hoping he didn't alert Kakashi of his presence. He was wondering what Naruto meant about the fox thing when Kakashi talked about the Nine Tailed Fox being sealed inside Naruto.

He was shocked. Naruto, the dead last of the Academy, had the Nine Tailed Fox sealed in him? _Wait, I thought the Fox was killed by the Fourth Hokage,_ Sasuke thought. He shook his head and thought, _This doesn't make sense!_ He did, however, begin to feel sorry for the blonde. Naruto had a shitier life than he did. Sasuke also felt himself respect Naruto more. Sasuke wasn't too sure he could be strong enough to keep something like the Nine Tailed Fox at bay like Naruto seemed to be doing by simply being alive.

He began to feel sick when Kakashi mentioned Naruto was being sabotaged by the Academy teachers. Naruto was the only person that Sasuke would even consider calling a friend, and his only friend being sabotaged pissed him off to no end. He made a mental note to pull a Naruto and prank the living hell out of all the teachers that dared sabotaged his friend. _How the hell do I do that?_ Sasuke asked himself. He shrugged to himself and thought; _Maybe I can get Naruto to tell me some ideas about how to do that._

When Kakashi talked to Naruto about why he seemed to know pieces of the Gentle Fist and Interceptor Fist, Sasuke listened intently. He wanted to know that as well. He noticed some of Naruto's moves resembled his own, but he just shrugged it off as coincidence. He was shocked once more when Naruto admitted he _replicated_ some of his and Hinata's moves by _memory_ _and training alone!_ _I don't know whether to be pissed at him for copying my clans Taijutsu, or congratulate him for actually pulling it off,_ Sasuke thought. _What he just admitted to doing is nothing short of genius._

Unbeknownst to all, there was another eavesdropper listening in. Sakura was trying to find Kakashi to ask a question when she came across Kakashi talking to Naruto. Curious, she crept up and began to listen in.

She nearly gasped when Kakashi mentioned the Fox. Suddenly, several puzzle pieces that didn't seem to fit together fell into place. That's_ why mom wanted me to stay away from Naruto! But Naruto isn't a demon! Certainly not the demon fox! Naruto's the nicest person I know!_

She felt sick with herself when Kakashi talked about Naruto being sabotaged in the Academy. _Was that why Naruto ended up a dead last? _She hung her head in despair. _I don't think I helped matters. All I ever did was belittle him and hurt him._ She vowed to be nicer to Naruto once this mission was over.

Her self-pity quickly took a back seat to amazement when Naruto began explaining his fighting style. She was intrigued at his ability of replicating moves from Taijutsus that were known to be the most difficult Taijutsus to learn and use. She also noticed that he used the katas Mizuki taught him as a base when he actually used his weird fighting style. _Given some time and practice, Naruto will have created a style that will be on par with the Gentle Fist and Interceptor Fist._

However, Sasuke's and Sakura's eavesdropping were soon put to a stop. Sasuke shifted his weight slightly, his foot snapping a twig. He cursed silently as shurikens flew towards him. He dodged to the left, but the damage had been done.

"You can come out now. _Both _of you," Kakashi's voice called out, making the other members of Team 7 tense up. As they walked out of the thickets they were hiding in, Kakashi was cursing himself. He really must have been interested in what Naruto as saying to not sense Sasuke and Sakura hiding just a few feet away from Naruto and himself.

Sasuke came out into the clearing first, just to Naruto's right. Sakura was to Naruto's left when she came into the clearing. Naruto looked mortified that they were listening in to the conversation.

"How much did you hear?" Kakashi demanded, his right eye narrowed.

"Pretty much all of it," the two answered together, making Naruto pale.

But before Kakashi could say anything else, Sasuke looked at Naruto and asked, "So, you have the Nine Tailed Fox sealed inside you?"

Naruto nodded slowly. All this time trying to gain acceptance from his peers was now up in smokes.

Sasuke, however, scoffed. "I don't know why we were lied to about the Fox, but there is one thing I know. The Naruto I know is a lot of things: cocky, hyperactive, a knucklehead…but, I can't see the logic in calling him a demon simply because he keeps one from killing me." He smirked at Naruto's confused look.

"Y-you don't hate me?" he asked quietly.

Sasuke grunted. "Wasn't that what I just said? I don't see a flaming red furred fox when I look at you. I see a loud-mouth knucklehead."

Naruto was stunned for a second before he smiled brightly. "Thank you, Sasuke," he said bowing his head. "That…that means a lot."

"Hn."

"N-Naruto," Sakura stuttered out. He turned to her and she said, "I-I want to apologize." She bowed her head and continued; "I didn't know about your situation and made your life harder. I can't really see why people see you as a demon when you are the nicest guy I've ever met. It makes no sense to me. So, sorry!" She was trembling slightly.

Naruto didn't know what to say. He stood there stunned for a second before he shook his head walked towards her. He put and hand on her shoulder, causing her to look up at him. He smiled softly at her and said, "Thanks, Sakura. Apology accepted."

She smiled at him. She felt a weight being lifted from her shoulders. "Thanks," she nodded to him.

Kakashi smiled under his mask. He was slightly worried that Sakura and Sasuke would reject Naruto because of his tenant, but he was genuinely proud that they stood by their teammate. Perhaps now, they can act like a team.

During his musing, Sasuke turned to Kakshi and said, "Kakashi sensei," Kakashi looked at him, "care to explain Naruto's 'furry little problem' to Sakura and me?" Sasuke smirked at Naruto's disgruntled look.

"Hey! You make it sound like I'm a werewolf or something, Bastard!" Naruto shouted at Sasuke.

They all shared a laugh as Kakashi told them the truth. Sasuke and Sakura were stunned. At the end of the story, Sasuke steeled his resolve and said, "Train us."

Kakashi looked at him pointedly. "Excuse me?" he asked sternly. He didn't like it that a kid was trying to order him around.

"Train us," Sasuke repeated. "It's obvious that the Leaf is full of idiots. Train us to prove them wrong. Wrong about every little thing they think about. Wrong about Naruto. Wrong about me, the precious Uchiha that everyone should bow too."

"Wrong about civilians can't be good shinobi," Sakura put in.

Naruto decided to round out the speech. "Wrong about dead lasts, losers, and failures," he said looking straight at Kakashi.

Kakashi stared at them for a moment before speaking. "There is a saying, 'To those who would achieve greatness, they must embrace their faults, face their fears, and conquer their doubts.' The goals you all want to accomplish are very lofty. Are you three sure you want to do this?"

They nodded without hesitation. Kakashi gave them an eye smile. "Well, Tazuna said it would be about three weeks until he completed and repaired the bridge. Let's see how far you three can go in that time."

* * *

Team 7 would later claim that the next three weeks were hell on earth. Kakashi finally started acting like a sensei and pulled out all the stops in their training. He drilled them in physical training mostly. The reason was because Sakura needed stamina, Sasuke needed some fine-tuning with his Interceptor Fist, and mainly because Kakashi wanted to help Naruto perfect his Taijutsu techniques.

Naruto proved to be genius in battle. He utilized the wrong katas Mizuki taught him as his base, and then branched off to moves he had replicated or just created on his own. Kakashi discovered Naruto also had some Inuzuka fighting tactics incorporated into it, as well as some moves only ANBU were taught.

It also occurred to Kakashi that Naruto's style didn't go far into grappling. In fact, the only grab he'd seen Naruto use in his 'work in progress' was a move that reminded him of the Gentle Fist stance. During a spar with Sasuke, Naruto gone into the Gentle Fist stance; and when Sasuke's fist had went in-between Naruto's hands; they closed around Sasuke's arm. Naruto then pulled him in close and slammed his left palm into Sasuke's elbow, his right palm into Sasuke's upper arm, and finally slammed his left palm again into Sasuke's chest, sending the black haired Uchiha back a few feet. All in one fluid motion.

Kakashi decided Naruto had a pretty good start, so he helped him incorporate different moves into his style, which they appropriately dubbed 'Maelstrom Fist,' and taught him how to read an opponent's movements in order to predict their movements.

Sasuke helped out on that by giving Naruto some pointers on how the Uchiha predicted movements. The two became more like brothers after Sasuke swallowed his pride and told the others of what truly happened during the Uchiha Massacre. Sakura was in tears while Naruto took it like a personal attack against him and swore Sasuke would not have to fight Itachi on his own. The two even created a new jutsu together.

Well, truthfully, it was an accident. Sasuke was trying to teach Naruto the **Fireball Jutsu** when Naruto sneezed and the fireball came out as a large spear of fire. Since the accident, they tried to recreate it. Once they did, they dubbed it the **Dragon Lance Jutsu**. Kakashi thought it could be considered a low B-rank Ninjutsu.

Naruto also took to teaching the **Shadow Clone Jutsu **to Sasuke. It took Sasuke several hours, but he finally could perform the jutsu, even if he could only summon two clones. That was where Kakashi told Naruto about the secret of the **Shadow Clone Jutsu**, that the memories of the clone could be passed to the original. Naruto utilized this by asking Sakura to help him catch up on all the things that he had missed out in the Academy, whether by skipping or being kicked out of class. Kakashi helped with that as well.

Kakashi also started Naruto on Fuinjutsu (sealing arts). He told Naruto (discretely of course) that his mother was a master at Fuinjutsu, making the blonde light up with joy and jump headlong into the arts. Naruto actually took to the sealing arts like a duck to water (the Uzumaki blood coming out in him). Kakashi started him out small with simple seals like the storage seal and paper bombs.

After perfecting that, Naruto began to try out different seals and creating some. One notable one was his Fox Flame bombs. He got bored and tried to see if he could seal some of the fox's chakra into a seal. He wasn't sure how he did it, but he knew he could do it. The result was a powerful blue fire bomb that incinerated everything in the blast zone in seconds. Sasuke, Naruto, and surprisingly Kakashi, being guys, loved them. Anything that made things go boom was worth keeping.

Kakashi was also impressed with Sakura. She had been experimenting with Genjutsu when she flared her chakra, and it stayed suspended around her. She told this to Kakashi and, with his help, Naruto giving some tips on making a jutsu that he used and combining it with the **Clone Jutsu**, she created herself a new jutsu which she called the **Dancing Sakura Petals Jutsu.** The technique was simple as she used her chakra to create Sakura pedals around her and used the **Clone Jutsu** to make it look like she was dancing around her opponents.

Sasuke, in conjunction with Naruto, improved their chakra control by sparring while walking on trees. Their reason was if they could make tree walking second nature to them, they could improve their chakra control immensely. Kakashi was so impressed that he introduced them to water walking, which Naruto and Sasuke dominated at because of their higher chakra levels and could regulate their chakra better on the flowing liquid surface. Sakura had more trouble because of her lower chakra reserves, but otherwise get the exercise down.

Another thing that happened was Naruto stopped asking Sakura on dates. Originally, he asked her during a break and, she decided to humor him. During said 'date', Sakura learned Naruto just wanted to hang out with her, which later became a crush. When asked why he always asked her out, he replied someone had told him if a woman repeatedly hits you, it meant she liked you. She was horrified. He didn't even know what love was. She explained to him that the person who told him that was lying to him and other social graces he'd been denied.

Naruto asked if she could help him with understanding love, but she said she couldn't. She did, however, tell him Hinata could as she had a HUGE crush on him. Naruto, at that moment, saw things fall into place and felt like a damn idiot.

On the same subject, Sakura stopped asking Sasuke for a date. The reason was once she tried to ask him, again, he told her that since being on the team he had thought of her like an annoying little sister. She was crushed, but she began to throw herself into training, much to the boys' pleasure.

Kakashi had feared that these incidents would affect their working together, but that proved false. In fact, they seemed to work together better. It seemed with all their effort on becoming better was stalled by their chasing someone.

All in all, by the end of the three weeks, Kakashi was sure they would all pass the Chunin Exams coming up in a month. They had all improved immensely, especially Naruto. Now that he had people who accepted him for himself, he did everything in his power to get better. He was at low-to-mid-Chunin level, as was Sasuke, who became more open and outspoken. Sakura went from a mediocre kunoichi to being a high-Genin to low-Chunin level one.

If Kakashi was honest with himself, he was sure they would become great.

Possibly rivaling even the great Sannin.

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**An:** Well, there's my first chapter to To Those Who Would Achieve Greatness. Hope you guys like it! Read, review and tell me what ya think. And, please tell me who y'all would like to see paired with Sasuke and Sakura. As you saw, it won't be SasuSaku, so tell me who they should end up with. Naruto, however, _will _be paired with Hinata. 'Till next time!

And Now…[**Drum roll**]….for all those who've been reading my stories and waiting for this….the final trailer for my RWBY Harry Potter crossover 'RWBY, JNPR, & HAIL'! So, finally, right? Well, I'll just stop talking and will get on with it. Here's the **Grey Trailer **for my soon-to-be crossover 'RWBY, JNPR, & HAIL'!

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**RWBY, JNPR, & HAIL**

RWBY and Harry Potter crossover

**Grey Trailer**

**Forever Fall**

Lilith "Lily" Nightingale stood in a clearing surrounding by several Ursi. The large bear-like Grimms closed in on her slowly, savoring in what they thought was an easy kill. Lily smirked.

"All you big 'ole boys against little 'ole me?" she asked condescendingly. She scoffed. "Well, you punks asked for it." She pulled out her large hunting knife, Grimm, and held it like a rapier. Grimm was about two and a half feet long and a dark black color with Grimm symbols on it. The handle was gold and had a sight on it.

Lily smoothed out her thick, heavy grey hunting jacket and said, "Let's get crazy!"

**(Play Angel of Darkness by Alex C. feat. Yasmin K., Lily's theme song)**

An Ursa charged her. It got within three feet of her when she struck. She jumped over the large Grimm and cut its head off. She landed and raced towards another. The Ursa brought up one of its claws to strike her, but Lily ducked under and cut its palm off. She rolled close to and cut one of its legs off. She jumped up and stabbed it in its jaw. Grimm's blade went through and entered the beast's brain, ultimately killing it.

She noticed several Grimm heading to a point in the woods and pulled Grimm out of the Ursa. She quickly turned Grimm into its bow form. The bow didn't have a string, but Lily channeled some Aura into Grimm, and a string appeared. She pulled a Dust arrow out of her quiver and notched an arrow. She aimed for the Ursa in front and shot it. The Dust arrow hit its mark and the Ursa's head exploded on contact. She notched arrow after arrow until the offending Ursi were decimated.

An Ursa charged her from behind. She turned and slashed its arm off with a downward stroke, and then cut its head. She spring boarded off the falling corpse and turned Grimm back into its hunting knife form. She cut off three more Ursi heads and turned Grimm into its bow form. She shot an explosive arrow at an oncoming Ursa. The arrow exploded on contact, turning the Ursa into mulch.

**(End Angel of Darkness)**

Lily sighed as she turned Grimm back into a hunting knife and walked out of the clearing back into the woods, right where the Ursi were trying to get to. There behind a tree was a little girl about six years old. She had cat ears on her head and her hair flowed around her head like a lion's mane.

"Hey, Maka, it's over," Lily said to the girl.

The looked up and asked, "Are you sure, Lily? Are they all gone?"

"Yep." Lily grinned at her and asked, "Not bad for a human, right?"

"You're not just a human, Lily," Maka said.

"Oh?" Lily raised an eyebrow.

"You're also the best big sister I could ask for!" Maka exclaimed.

Lily grinned again. "Wow, thanks, Maka." She looked around and said, "Let's get out of here before more Grimm show up."

Maka nodded as they walked back down the path that they had been traveling.

* * *

**An: **And Finally! The final trailer is done! I hope you all enjoyed it! Now, I plan on starting my first One Piece fanfiction, and either tomorrow or Monday, I will post the trailers for my crossover under the RWBY and Harry Potter crossover section just so you guys don't have to keep going from one story I've posted to another just to read these trailers. 'Till Next Time!


	2. Chapter 2

**To Those Who Would Achieve Greatness**

**Chapter 2-** _Returning to the Village_

* * *

Team 7 was casually strolling towards the large gates of the Leaf Village. Sakura was walking down the road staring straight ahead while Sasuke debated with Naruto on the different uses of their **Dragon Lance Jutsu**. Kakashi just watched them all while reading his perverted novel.

"I wonder if it can melt through stone," Naruto mused. "That would be so cool. Not to mention, it could work well against a Stone shinobi."

"I doubt it," Sasuke told him. "But we'll have to try it out, though. I for one want to see the extent of your Fox Flame bombs."

"Yeah! Those are awesome!" Naruto shouted like he was prone to do from time to time.

Sakura rolled her eyes. "Men," she groaned.

"Now, now, Sakura," Kakashi said not looking up from his book, "they're just expanding their knowledge of seals. No need to be so callous."

Sakura glared at her sensei. "I wouldn't mind if that's all they were doing. All they seem to care about is making stuff explode. Kind of like you and your porn."

"Now, Sakura, I've told you and told you, Make-Out Paradise is NOT porn. It's adult literature with an engaging storyline."

Naruto had heard the argument and decided to put in his input. "HA! Don't give us that crap! It's just cheap ass porn!" He went and examined the book. "Who wrote this? 'Jiraiya?' Man, what possessed him to write this crap?!"

"It's not crap!" Kakashi defended. "It's-"

"Wait…Jiraiya? As in 'The Sannin Jiraiya?' HE writes this porn?!"Sasuke exclaimed making the other two's eyes widen.

"The Sannin?! Why is such a great ninja be writing porn?!" Sakura shouted.

"THIS is the legacy of the Fourth Hokage's teacher?" Naruto asked incredulously. He snorted. "Wow, I guess the mighty _can_ fall, after all."

The other two nodded in agreement while Kakashi's head slumped. "No one appreciates good literature these days," he mumbled, making his team laugh at him.

* * *

They entered the Leaf Village, and almost immediately, Sasuke and Sakura were stunned at all the glares their blonde haired teammate was receiving. They were walking down the main street of the village and all around, nine civilians out of ten would either glare at Naruto or just look at him and not actually 'see him.' Sasuke became even more pissed when one or two of them tried to push Naruto to the ground just to speak with the 'Last Loyal Uchiha.'

Sasuke looked over at Naruto at one point. The look on Naruto's face was neutral, but to an Uchiha, even one as untrained as Sasuke for obvious reasons, could see that the words hit him hard. Sasuke fumed internally at this. Sooner or later, if Naruto didn't do it, Sasuke was sure he would jack-slap the entire village for its arrogance and stupidity.

Sakura was horrified at the stares Naruto was getting. Most of them from shop keepers! That's when another thought hit her. _Wait, if even the shop keepers seem to hate him…how does he get the necessities he needs? _She thought about it before shrugging. _I'll ask later._

Kakashi sighed. He figured this would happen. He sent some mild Killing Intent towards the villagers, making them pale and back off. These idiot villagers weren't about to ruin his team. It took three weeks to make them this way. And if the more...narrow minded shinobi tried…Kakashi chuckled darkly. Well, the ANBU were in need of improving their swords skills last he checked.

* * *

They walked into the Hokage's office a few minutes later. Sarutobi was surprised. Never had this particular team looked like a true shinobi team. Honestly, it kind of freaked out the wizened old Hokage slightly.

"Team 7 reporting in. Mission successful," Kakashi said, his book put away.

"Very good," the Third Hokage said nodding. "Now, let's begin with the report."

The report started out well enough. However, once they began to talk about the Demon Brothers, Sarutobi began frowning. Why did-Oh, never, mind. He should've known _Naruto_ wouldn't turn around. As the report went on, Sarutobi became concerned. They had to fight _Zabuza_ _the Demon_? He did, however, feel pride when Kakashi explained how Sasuke and Naruto worked together to save their sensei. It wasn't until Kakashi began to talk about the battle of the Bridge did Sarutobi interrupt.

"Kakashi! You didn-"

"Kakashi sensei didn't tell them about the damn Fox, Old Man," Naruto spoke up. "It happened a couple of days after the fight and they overheard Kakashi and me talking. They told me they don't see me as the Fox."

Sarutobi looked at Naruto in shock for a moment. He turned to the other two members of Team 7. They both shrugged. "Naruto's a lot of things, but he's not a demon," Sasuke said. Sakura nodded.

Sarutobi smiled. "It's good to hear that, you two," he told them. He motioned for Kakashi to continue.

Sarutobi listened intently to the rest of the fight. After that, they explained the confrontation in the woods and the hell that was Kakashi's training. Sarutobi chuckled. He remembered Minato was a slave driver when it came to training. He guessed the blonde must've really rubbed off on Kakashi.

"Well, I can see you four have had quite the adventure," Sarutobi said, sitting back in his chair. "I'll see to it you all receive pay for C-classed turned A-classed mission tomorrow. Right now, you guys take the rest of the week off." The three gennin went wide-eyed at that. "With that, you're free to go."

They nodded and walked out of the office. Sarutobi's smile vanished as he looked towards Kakashi. "Are you sure the seal is fine?"

"Yes, Lord Hokage," the masked jonin said. "I checked it right after the fight. It was fine. It seems Minato sensei made the seal with a release valve that would release some of the Fox's chakra if Naruto was in a life or death situation."

Sarutobi sighed. "Of course Minato would do such a thing," the old man mumbled.

"With all due respect, sir, this is _Minato_ we're talking about. Plus, he was sealing the beast into his _own son,_" Kakashi said.

Sarutobi sighed again. "I know, I know. Minato was always one who took big risks and somehow always landed on top." He gave a small smile and said, "I wonder what we can expect from Naruto's team now…"

* * *

Sakura had decided to stop by her home before meeting up with Naruto and Sasuke at Ichiraku's. It really appalled the pink haired youth that the Ramen shop was the only place that Naruto wasn't disrespected or overcharged. She shook her head of the thoughts and continued on to her house. She opened her door and announced, "I'm home!"

Sakura heard her mother call out, "Sakura! Welcome home! You're father and I are in the kitchen."

Sakura smiled slightly. She walked into the kitchen to see her father sitting at the table while her mother was washing dishes. Her mother looked at her and smiled. "Hello, sweetie. How was your first C-class mission?" she asked nicely.

Sakura tensed slightly but otherwise shrugged. "Oh, it was alright. Touch and go at one point, but otherwise boring," she said evenly. She really didn't want to get into a long discussion with her parents about her first _real_ mission. She wanted to get on to what's been eating at her for three weeks now.

"However," she said slowly, causing her parents to pay more attention to her, "I did find out…about…something."

"What was it?" her mother asked.

"I know about Naruto and the Kyuubi," she said quickly, deciding to just get it over with.

The response she received was immediate. Her parents' expressions darkened. She was shocked. Why would they have such a reaction to that?

Her mother turned her back to Sakura. "I see," she said neutrally. "I'll see to it that you are moved to a different team the next Council meeting."

"W-WHAT?" Sakura asked incredulously. That wasn't what she was expecting!

"Now that you know about that awful freak, I can only assume you want nothing to do with him. Don't worry dear; I'll make sure you never see him again."

Sakura was horrified. Her own parents thought of Naruto as the Fox?! Sakura's fists shook as she tried to rein in her anger. However, it seemed someone had other plans for her.

"This time, I'll make sure the damn Fox doesn't escape justice," her mother said finally.

Sakura snapped. "NARUTO IS _NOT_ THE NINE-TAILED FOX!" she yelled, glaring daggers at her mother's back.

Her mother turned around, shocked at her daughter's outburst. Sakura's father wasn't any better. Her mother shook her head and chuckled loudly. "Oh, Sakura! You've become such a kidder in your absence! Of COURSE that **boy** is the Fox! He can't be anything more!"

"Naruto…is…not…the…Fox!" Sakura growled. "Naruto is _**my**_ teammate. And I don't appreciate you comparing Naruto to the Fox."

Her father's eyes narrowed. "Sakura, I don't think you understand the situation. _That demon_ is nothing more than that: a demon," he said.

Sakura felt her insides burn. "_Naruto_ is a _person_. NOT a demon. Why are you guys so set on calling him that?"

"That monster is not a person, young lady! It's a demon! One you will stay away from! It's obvious that thing is corrupting your mind! I will not lose another daughter to that…_thing,_" her mother spat out.

Sakura finally lost it. "_THAT'S _WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOU?! YOU'RE BLAMING NARUTO FOR MY SISTER'S DEATH?! NARUTO WAS JUST BARELY TWO MINUTES OLD WHEN THAT HAPPENED! HOW SHALLOW CAN YOU TWO BE?!"

"DON'T RAISE YOUR VOICE WITH US, YOUNG LADY! WE ARE YOUR PARENTS! WE KNOW WHAT IS BEST FOR YOU!" Her mother shouted.

"I'LL RAISE MY VOICE ALL I WANT!" Sakura retorted angrily. "I WILL _**NOT**_ STAND HERE AND LET YOU…YOU…YOU PEOPLE INSULT MY FRIEND FOR SOMETHING HE HAD NO CONTROL OVER!" With that, Sakura turned on her heel and ran to her room.

"SAKURA HARUNO, GET BACK DOWN HERE THIS INSTANT!" her mother yelled, but Sakura paid it no mind. She bolted into her room and grabbed several articles of clothing. She stuffed the clothes into her backpack, opened her window, and jumped out onto the road below.

She bolted down the street, angry tears streaking down her cheeks. How could her parents be so heartless? To condemn Naruto like that? She shook her head fiercely. She needed to find a place to stay now. No way in **Hell** was she going back there. But where could she…

She stopped suddenly and changed course. She knew someone who might help her (besides Naruto and Sasuke, of course. But, those guys might lash out at her parents). Someone who, hopefully, wouldn't turn her down.

Ino.

* * *

Sasuke and Naruto entered the Uchiha compound without a word. They had just finished dealing with a dumb drunk who thought it would be funny to try and hit the 'demon' with a bottle to appease 'Lord Uchiha.' Needless to say, the bastard was sent packing by a pissed off Uchiha. Sasuke wondered what possessed nearly an entire village to completely hate one kid. It just made no sense. Where they all just blind sheep that followed one asshole? Sasuke shrugged. No use contemplating on it now.

"So, you ready to test out the **Dragon Lance Jutsu**?" Naruto asked. He couldn't wait to see if their new jutsu would melt stone!

"Hn. Might as well," Sasuke said.

"Man, we really need to get rid of that annoying verbal tic," Naruto commented.

Sasuke smirked. "I will," he said nonchalantly, "when you get rid of yours."

Naruto was about to retort, but he quickly silenced himself. "Point."

Unbeknownst to the duo, they had a shadow. Hinata Hyuga had been tailing Naruto since she saw him and his team heading to the Hokage's office, just like every other day for the shy heiress. However, she became curious when she saw Sasuke and Naruto head off towards the Uchiha compound. Upon closer inspection, she heard them talk about some jutsu they had developed together and were arguing the theoretical uses for it.

She began to notice they were acting somewhat like siblings (or at least, how she and Hanabi acted towards each other every now and again). She wondered what happened during Naruto's last mission to make those two, whom she gathered hated each other's guts, act like brothers. She didn't know, but she was determined to find out.

She did smile slightly when Sasuke put that drunken villager in his place (still didn't stop her from hating said Uchiha for stealing her Naruto's first kiss during team placement). It also made her wonder if Naruto had told him about the Kyuubi.

Yes, she knew about the Kyuubi. She caught someone on the streets talking about it one day when she was stalking- I mean, 'observing' Naruto. She was shocked at first before she felt anger at the village. Naruto wasn't a demon! If he was, he would make the Uchiha massacre look tame compared to what he would do to the Leaf Village.

However, until she worked up enough nerve, she wouldn't be finding out anytime soon. She sighed in frustration. Well, no use crying over it. She turned around and headed home.

* * *

Ino was watching over her family's flower shop, bored out of her mind. Today was a very slow day. Ino sighed. She wished something interesting would happen to alleviate her boredom.

The door of the shop opened to reveal a winded Sakura. Her hair and clothes were disheveled and her eyes were red and puffy from crying. Tears were rolling down her cheeks as she gasped for breath and walked towards the counter.

"Sakura?!" Ino asked incredulously. She rushed over to her best friend (well, former best friend). She grabbed the pinkette's shoulders and asked, "What's wrong? Are you okay? Are you hurt or what?"

Sakura took a deep breath and shook her head slowly. "I-I don't know anymore, Ino," she softly. "A lot's happened, and I'm hard pressed to understand it all." She looked at the blonde. "Listen, do you think I can stay with you for a while? I had a fight with my parents over…something, and I really can't stand the sight of them right now."

Ino was shocked. Sakura almost never fought with her parents, and when she did, it was never _this _bad. Ino looked behind her and shouted, "Hey, Mom! Sakura wants to know if she can stay over for a few days."

Ino's mother came out from the back of the store. "Well, you haven't asked that in a while. What's chan-" She saw the state Sakura was in and became concerned. "Oh, dear! What happened to you?!"

Sakura looked at the older blonde and smiled sadly. "Me and my parents had a disagreement regarding a certain orange clad blonde," she said hoping Ino's mother got the hint.

She did, apparently. Her eyes widened as she stared at Sakura. Sakura knew of Naruto and the Kyuubi? And by what was said, Sakura didn't see Naruto any differently. Well, not really. It seemed the young Haruno was sticking up for said blonde. Whatever the case, it made her smile. It was nice to see someone standing up the poor child.

Ino was confused as to why Sakura and her parents were arguing about _Naruto_ of all people! And why was her mother acting like this?

"Ah, I see," Ino's mother said. She looked at her daughter and said, "Ino, dear, could you take Sakura up to the guest bedroom and help her settle in? I'll watch the store for the rest of the day."

Ino was still confused as hell, but she nodded nonetheless. Silently, she led Sakura up the stairs to where she and her parents lived. She led Sakura to the guest bedroom, and she and Sakura sat down on the bed.

"Um, Sakura," Ino said uncertainly, "what's going on? Why are you and your parents fighting about Naruto? I know he's an idiot, but he's not a murderer. And what's up with it being a big deal?"

Sakura sighed. "I'm sorry Ino…but I can't tell you." Ino's eyes widened. "The big deal about Naruto happens to be an S-class secret punishable by death. I only found out about it because Sasuke and I overheard Naruto talking about it with Kakashi sensei during our mission."

Ino's eyes widened. Naruto…the subject of an S-class secret? Whoa.

"The only people who can tell you about it are the Hokage and Naruto, as it's his secret," Sakura went on. She hung her head and said, "Ino, do you think I'm a horrible person? I did nothing more than belittle and hurt Naruto simply because I didn't know his situation. Ino, he didn't even know what _love_ was. Did you know the only reason he kept asking me out was because some idiot told him when he was younger that if a woman hits you continually, they liked you?"

Ino was in shock. "W-what would possess someone to tell a child that?" she asked incredulously.

"I don't know, Ino. I don't know." Sakura shook her head and said, "All I know is that this village is full of idiots."

Ino sighed. She looked at her old friend and said, "I think I can believe you on that one. But Sakura…I don't think you're a bad person." Sakura looked up at Ino. "I mean, I don't know the specifics, but I don't think you can hate yourself for not knowing something. I think you should just roll with it. You know what I mean?"

Sakura looked at Ino for a moment before smiling slightly. "Yeah, thanks, Ino."

"Now! About this mission…I hear it was your first C-ranked mission. I want details," Ino all but demanded.

Team 7 was the first to receive a C-ranked mission among the graduating class, after all!

* * *

**An: **There's the second chapter! Just note: about Sakura having a sister who died during the Kyuubi attack- I wanted Sakura's parents to have a _legitimate _reason for hating Naruto. I've read too many fanfictions where they simply hated him for the sake of hating him, and I wanted Sakura's break from her parents to be original.

Plus, I still need ideas on who to pair Sasuke and Sakura with. Leave a review and tell me what you think.

Also, if you notice in later chapters that I start using Japanese honorifics and the like, pay no mind to them. I'm going to try and write certain parts in Japanese for reference on other Naruto projects I plan on writing. 'Till next time!


	3. Chapter 3

**To Those Who Would Achieve Greatness**

**An: **Just wish to take this moment to talk to the reviewers who said not to pair Naruto with Hinata: Sorry, but the NaruHina pairing is here to stay. First off, I like Hinata and feel she deserves Naruto _far_ more than any other character in the series. Yes, she is a stalker, but that is because she has **NO** self-confidence because of her family's so called 'Training.' When she lost; she was belittled, scorned, and mocked. Would _you_ have enough self-confidence to talk to someone you liked when you're forced to think you're worthless? Besides, this story will mainly set the basis for the pairing when I do the sequel.

Now that my rant on that is over, thank you **roanoak** and 'guest' for putting your opinions on pairings for Sasuke and Sakura. For guest, I can see your thoughts. And **roanoak**, you gave me good detailed reasons why Sasuke should be paired with Yakumo and Sakura with Lee, helps I can see potential with this one. Your opinion and reasoning is appreciated.

Also, I'm starting to use some Japanese honorifics in this chapter. Sooner or later, I might go back and put them in the previous chapters, but I don't know.

Now that that stuff is out of the way…here's chapter 3!

* * *

**Chapter 3-** _Revelations and plans of action_

Naruto frowned as he sat in the living room of Sasuke's clan home.

He was thinking about what to do about his little dilemma regarding Hinata Hyuga. Since learning she had a crush on him, Naruto felt that he really was an idiot. However, he supposed he couldn't put all the blame on himself. The ruddy village deserved some of the credit.

He spent most of this time trying to figure out _why_ she liked him. He never really interacted with her save for an awkward hello or a glance. There was something else, but he couldn't put his finger on it.

While he was musing, Sasuke walked in looking like the dead. He and Naruto had been up most of the night testing their **Dragon Lance Jutsu** and Naruto's **Kitsune-bi **paper bombs. The two worked really well in combination.

He saw Naruto sitting on the couch looking like he got a restful night sleep. Sasuke frowned. "How is it that you look like you've just had the best night sleep in the world while I feel like I've just ran the whole perimeter of Konoha with every single one of my fangirls _and_ Itachi's on my tail?" he asked irritably.

Naruto blinked, not realizing Sasuke had entered the room, and shrugged. "I'm use to not sleeping for long periods of time," he explained. "Ninjas loved to break into my apartment and try and kill me, so I tend to not sleep as much."

Sasuke's eyes narrowed. "You seemed to sleep like a log during the mission."

"Yeah, because I was so tired. After training to the ground or nearly dying, I tend to sleep longer."

Sasuke agreed to that. He grunted and headed to the kitchen. Naruto started to look around the old clan home. Several pictures were sitting on the mantel piece. One, however, stuck out to the blonde shinobi. It was a picture of a beautiful redhead with violet eyes of about thirteen with her arm on a black haired woman, who Naruto believed was Sasuke's mother. There was a third girl in the picture, and Naruto swore she looked like Hinata.

"Yo, Sasuke," Naruto called out. "Who's the redhead in this picture?"

Sasuke walked back into the living room and frowned at the picture. "My mom's teammate," he said, "but I never caught her name."

Naruto grabbed the picture and examined it further. He felt he had seen the redhead somewhere…He opened up the picture frame and pulled the picture out.

"What are doing?" Sasuke asked, but Naruto ignored him. He turned the picture around and saw words on the back. His eyes widened.

_"Mikoto Uchiha, Soyokaze Hyuga, and Kushina Uzumaki,"_ Naruto read. He looked at Sasuke and said, "You never told me your mom had an Uzumaki on her team."

Sasuke was kept up his mask of indifference, but was clearly surprised as well. "I never knew her name."

Sasuke suddenly had a thought. He ran out of the room for a moment. He came back with another photo. It was of an older Mikoto and Kushina. Mikoto had a baby in her arms while Kushina looked pregnant.

Naruto looked at the photo. "Okay…what now?"

Sasuke proceeded to take the photo out of the frame. A note fell to the ground. Curious, Naruto picked it up and unfolded it. He read it aloud:

_Dear Mikoto,_

_Hey! How's little Sasuke doing?_

Naruto snickered at that, but Sasuke hit him in the head, telling him to keep reading:

_I'm about to be moved to a secure location because of 'you know what.' I can't tell you where because both the old monkey Sarutobi and Minato have 'forbidden' me to tell you, and they haven't told me where anyway. Anyway, I can't wait to talk to you again! Next time we see each other, my little Naruto will be able to keep Sasuke company! Hopefully, Naruto will take after Minato and not me, 'ya know? See you in a couple of weeks!_

_From your best friend,_

_Kushina_

The note fell to the ground as Sasuke and Naruto looked at it with wide eyes. "M-my mother-" Naruto stammered, but couldn't finish the thought.

"Was my mom's best friend?" Sasuke asked incredulously. "But…what did she mean by you taking after Minato? Who's Minato, anyways?"

Naruto shook his head. "The only Minato I know of is Minato Namikaze, the Fourth Hokage."

"The Fourth? Why would she-?" Sasuke questioned, but it died out.

Because suddenly, as if Zabuza had come back to life and smacked them in the head with his sword, realization dawned on them. Both voiced only one thought:

"EVERYONE IN THIS VILLAGE REALLY **IS** STUPID!"

* * *

Following Naruto's and Sasuke's shout, Ino and Sakura were walking out of the flower shop that Ino's family owned. They looked around and Ino asked, "What was that?!"

Sakura inclined her head and said, "Sounds like Naruto and Sasuke. Did you hear what they said?" A great night's rest and her talk with Ino had helped her greatly.

"Something about everyone in this village is an idiot," Ino said.

"Huh. Well, they're not wrong. But, I thought we had already established that," Sakura mused.

Suddenly, two blurs ran up to them and stopped. The resulting dust that the blurs had kicked up flew around them. Ino and Sakura coughed as the dust began to settle. When it finally dissipated, the two females caught sight of a scene they had _wished_ they had never seen. The two men, one was about their age or a year older and the other about Kakashi's age, standing before them were dressed in attire that made _**Naruto's**_ getup look like the latest shinobi fashion statement. They were wearing dark green jumpsuits and orange leg warmers and had fuzzy eyebrows!

The older one smiled winningly at them. "Oh! Sorry, ladies! Lee and I were just off to do our daily training exercises this fine morning!" he said loudly.

The younger, who looked like the older's mini-me, saluted them. "YEAH! Sorry to have nearly run over you ladies!" he shouted just as enthusiastically as his sensei.

The two girls looked at each other, wondering what to say to these…people. "Um…it's okay," Sakura said tentatively. "Don't let us keep you."

Lee, the younger, looked at Sakura blankly for a moment. He started to say something, but was interrupted by his sensei: "Alllrrrrrrrrrright! Lee! Let's not trouble these young kunoichi anymore! We're five minutes behind schedule! That means we must run the perimeter of Konoha 350 times…on our hands!"

"Yes, Guy sensei!" Lee shouted as he took off in a green blur. He reappeared in front of Ino and Sakura and bowed. "Sorry for troubling you." With that said, he took off again. The older one wasn't far behind him.

Ino and Sakura looked at each other in horror and bewilderment. "Ino…what just happened?" Sakura questioned.

"I…I don't know," Ino answered, still hoping someone would come and tell _her_ what just happened.

"SAKURA!" two voices cried out, breaking the pinkette out of her stupor. Naruto and Sasuke were running towards her and Ino at breakneck speeds. Sakura was wondering why until she saw a hoard of girls chasing them! Most were chanting Sasuke's name, confirming they were fangirls, but some were screaming _Naruto's _name!

"Naruto? Sasuke? What's going on?!" Sakura shouted.

She didn't get an answer as both Naruto and Sasuke grabbed her by her arms and dragged her away. "WE'LL EXPLAIN LATER!" they yelled as they continued to run with her in tow.

"Sasuke-kun! Wait up!"

"Don't leave, Naruto-kun!"

"Bye, Ino! Thanks for your help last night! See you later!" Sakura shouted over the fangirls' yelling.

"Don't leave us!"

"No! Sakura is stealing Sasuke-kun!"

"I want a threesome with Naruto-kun and Sasuke-kun!"

Ino blanched at the last one. Was she _**this**_ bad back in the Academy? She shuddered. No wonder Sasuke always ran away from them. She probably needed to get out of her fangirl phase.

* * *

_*Flashback Jutsu*_

_ Naruto and Sasuke were walking down the street heading towards the Hokage tower. Naruto was sure the old man could shed some light on this subject. And Naruto wanted some answers badly._

_ However, their priorities changed when they became a topic of conversation._

_ "Oh my gosh! It's Sasuke-kun! Hey, what's he doing with _Naruto_?"_

_ "Whoa, without that hideous jumpsuit, Naruto looks pretty hot, don't you think? I mean, look at those muscles! He looks stronger than Sasuke-kun!"_

_ Naruto's prized jumpsuit was destroyed in testing Naruto's __**Kitsune-bi**__ bombs last night. So, now he wore the black shirt he always wore under his jumpsuit and some shorts Sasuke had loaned him. Sasuke was in his usual getup._

_ "Dream on! Naruto will never be as strong as Sasuke-kun!"_

_ "Yeah, but Naruto can outrun and hide from a squad of ANBU and I'm sure Sasuke can't."_

_ "What?!"_

_ "Yeah. My daddy's an ANBU, and I heard him tell my mom that Naruto was known to outwit several ANBU squads back when he was younger. I think my daddy said the record was seven ANBU squads, every Academy teacher, and Iruka sensei, who Daddy said was the only person besides the Hokage and an ANBU named Inu who could find him."_

_ "Wow. And here I thought Naruto was just a deadlast."_

_ "Can you imagine both him and Sasuke-kun holding you at night? EEEEEEEEP!"_

_ Both boys shuddered at that comment. Naruto was getting nervous. He wasn't sure how having fangirls was like, but he was sure he didn't want to know at this point. Naruto looked over at Sasuke and saw he was shivering slightly._

_ "Sasuke? What's going on with these girls, and should I be worried?" Naruto asked._

_ "Yes, Naruto. We should be very worried," Sasuke said. "Right now, there is only one thing we can do."_

_ Naruto was confused. "What's that?"_

_ "RUN!" _

_ Sasuke bolted forward, leaving Naruto standing there for a second. However, Naruto soon found his legs moving when he heard several people running towards him. Self-preservation instincts he had obtained from running away from drunken villagers kicked in and he took off running. A quick look back showed him a hoard of fangirls chasing them._

_ "Sasuke! What the-"_

_ "Shut up and keep running!" the black haired youth shouted._

_ "Sasuke-kun! Wait!" _

_ "Where're you going, Naruto-kun?!"_

_ Naruto tried to look back, but Sasuke hit him saying, "Don't look back! They'll catch you if you look back!"_

_*Flashback Jutsu Kai*_

"And that's how it happened. How we got chased by a bunch of rabid demons," Naruto concluded with Sasuke nodding sagely.

Sakura felt her eye twitch. "That's it?"

"That's it."

Sakura's eye twitched for a second. Finally, she sighed. "Well then, why were you two walking down the street in the first place? I would've thought you guys would still be testing your **Dragon Lance Jutsu** and **Kitsune-bi** bombs."

"We would be," Naruto said. "But this," he held up the note, "changed our plans."

Curious, Sakura took the note and read it. Her eyes widened. She wasn't considered the 'Kunoichi of the year' for nothing as she saw the implications behind it. She looked at Naruto and asked, "Is this for real?"

"That's what I'm about to find out," Naruto said.

* * *

Sarutobi never felt as old as he did right now. Before him was the note Naruto and Sasuke had found by coincidence! Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura were standing before him, waiting for an answer of some kind.

Sarutobi sighed as he signaled the ANBU in the room to leave while activating several silencing and privacy seals inside the room. He then stood up and walked to the picture of the Fourth Hokage. Pulling the picture off the wall revealed a safe. Sarutobi put in the combination, and opened it up, pulling out four scrolls.

He walked back to his desk and placed the scrolls in front of Naruto. Naruto looked at the elderly Hokage with a raised eyebrow. "Um…"

"They're your parents'," the Hokage said sitting down. "I was going to give them to you when you became a chunin, but the circumstances have changed."

Curious, Naruto picked up the first one. He examined it and saw it had a blood seal on it. He bit his finger and ran the bloodied digit across the seal, opening it instantly. Sitting down in one of the chairs with Sakura and Sasuke on either side, he began reading:

_**Dear Naruto,**_

_**Even as I write this letter, I know now that I may never obtain your forgiveness. What I wish for you to know is that this was the only way to save everyone. Maybe I'm getting ahead of myself here.**_

_**Naruto, my name is Minato Namikaze, the Fourth Hokage, the Yellow Flash, etc. and whatever, but most of all, I'm your father. **_

Naruto's breath hitched slightly. His suspicions were correct. The Fourth was his father. He shook his head and continued reading:

_**As you may already know, I sealed the Kyuubi inside of you. Trust me when I say I didn't want too, but I didn't have any other option at the point. I mean, what kind of father am I if I asked someone else to give up their son for this when I wasn't willing to do the same thing? If I had more time, maybe I could've redone the seal where I could've sent the damn fox straight to hell, but I don't. I truly am sorry. I sincerely pray that the village will see you as a hero for your part in saving the village. **_

_**Sealed inside the second scroll with my clan symbol is all of the jutsu and seals I have ever created. Your mother's are in the scrolls with the Uzumaki clan symbol on them. I pray you will grow up and become a shinobi even better than I was. Perhaps one day, you can find it in yourself to forgive me. I wish you the best of luck, my son. I love you.**_

_**Love, **_

_**Your father, Minato.**_

Naruto closed his eyes tightly as he willed his tears to vanish. His father hadn't abandoned him! It was possibly the only question he wanted answered besides if they loved him or not. Now, he had both.

Steeling himself, he reached for another. He activated the blood seal, and it opened up easily. It was another letter. It read:

_**Dear Naruto,**_

_**I know you probably don't know me, but I'm your mother. If you're reading this, then I died with Minato-kun saving the village. I am sorry I could not be there for you. Words cannot describe how sorry I am, my son! **_

_**I wish I could be there for you! I love you so much! My baby! My beautiful little boy! I never wanted my burden to be passed to you, but I'm afraid this very little choice now. I pray you will become a great shinobi one day, and that my clan techniques will help make you legendary!**_

_**Please, please, PLEASE forgive me, my son! I hope you are well and happy! **_

_**I love you! **_

_**Kushina**_

Naruto couldn't stop the tears this time. He felt them running down his cheeks slowly. He clutched the letter tightly as he tried to compose himself. He felt Sasuke and Sakura both place a hand on his shoulder. He nodded to them and turned to face the Hokage.

"Naruto, I-"

Naruto held up his hand. "Old man, I get why you didn't tell me about my old man," Naruto stated. "The Fourth was hated by a lot of people outside of Konoha. I may not like that you didn't tell me, but I am the son of the Fourth. I'll deal."

Sarutobi smiled. That was very mature of Naruto. Sasuke and Sakura smiled as well. Naruto was one who would surprise you. That was for sure.

"There's just one thing I want to know," Naruto continued.

"Only one?" Sasuke said condescendingly.

Naruto ignored him. "Why didn't you tell me about my mother?" he asked in a steel laced tone.

Sarutobi cringed. "Understand, Naruto," the elderly Hokage began, "your mother was just as infamous as your father. Plus, the fact she was the jinchuriki of the Fox before you was a concern. You see, a masked man released the Fox from your mother just after she gave birth to you. I'll tell you more about that at a later date. The main reason, however, was because Kumo had already tried to kidnap your mother before. I couldn't risk them trying to kidnap you if they knew you were related to them."

Naruto's eyes widened. "They tried to kidnap my mom?"

Sarutobi nodded. "Your father was actually the one who foiled the plot. I'll be happy to tell you more about your parents over some Ramen later, if you'd like?"

Naruto's head began nodding so fast, his teammates thought his neck would break. Sarutobi laughed.

"I truly am sorry for not telling you, Naruto. But, I had to do what I had too to defend Minato's legacy. However, people fear what they don't understand."

Sakura frowned. "If that's the case, why did you tell people about Naruto being the…jinchuriki you called it? Wouldn't it make more sense to keep it a secret?"

"That it would," the Hokage agreed. "However, my _advisors_ leaked the information to the public; so, I placed the law that no one would tell Naruto of his burden. I wanted him to have a normal life, but I failed at that."

Sasuke snorted. "Seems like you need to clean house," the last Uchiha in Konoha said dryly.

Sarutobi snorted as well. "That would be ideal. However, they have too many connections to deal with right now, and I'm not getting any younger."

The blonde haired shinobi laughed. "That's for sure!" he said enthusiastically.

Sarutobi nodded his head sadly. "I'll never get you to respect your elders, will I, Naruto?" he asked rhetorically.

Naruto, somehow, someway (probably just because his parents' ghosts wanted to make the old man suffer), executed an eye smile worthy of Kakashi. "NOPE!"

Meanwhile, a certain silver haired Cyclops was walking down the streets when he stopped suddenly. Then, out of the blue, he began laughing like a mad doctor on caffeine. He went back to walking, scaring everyone he came across.

Naruto's teammates laughed. They needed to ask Naruto how to do that later. Naruto was just smirking at the Hokage, who happened to be glaring at him.

"If I ever catch you emulating Kakashi again, I'll revoke your shinobi statuses."

* * *

**An**: Sorry about ending it there, but everything after this will be better together with my next chapter. Hope the letters are good. They were the hardest part of this chapter.

Since there is little on Hinata's mother, I am forced to make a lot of stuff up. As such, I named her Soyokaze, which means "Gentle Breeze." I feel it is a good name for Hinata's mother, as to show just how much Hinata takes after her mother.

At this moment, I intend to finish off **Black Ivy** now: I only have to write five more chapters in it. I may also type up the first chapter of my **Lord of Azkaban** fic.

Which leads to this, if any of you actually visit my profile regularly, I have seven stories published so far, and have more ideas than I have time. What I'd like to do is publish three more stories so I can have ten stories to work on and when I finish those ten, I can work on some more (I have more ideas than what is posted my profile, so, I'll be kept busy on this site for a while).

Review on which ones you want me to do, or say wait until I'm finished with the seven I got now. It's what you guys want. I'm just in writer's block on most of those stories I've got published, and my mind's usually on one of the other stories I have planned. As of now, **Lord of Azkaban **is first on the winner's list.

Here's a small description of what each is about:

**Lord of Azkaban (Harry Potter fanfiction):** Rating- M: After the DOM incident, Harry is thrown into Azkaban, where the Dementors suck out Voldemort's soul piece from his scar. The Dementors give him the ring of the first Lord Azkaban, and Harry decides to end Voldemort, Dumbles, and Fudge once and for all. Inside: Voldemort Bashing, Dumbledore Bashing, Fudge Bashing, Harmony (Harry/Hermione) pairing, multiple crossover themes, possible lemons.

**Very 'Lestrange' Happenings (Harry Potter fanfiction):** Rating- T: Harry begins to hear a voice in his head claiming to be his long lost brother, who reveals everything in Magical Britain is not what it seems. Inside: Dark, Evil Dumbledore, Good Death Eaters and Voldemort.

**Power of the Devil Fruits (One Piece fanfiction):** Rating- T: Luffy discovers a hidden power that exists within all Devil Fruits. Pre-Arlong Park Arc. Inside: Smart, yet still idiot Luffy, LuNa (Luffy/Nami) pairing.

**Enough is Enough (Naruto fanfiction):** Rating- T: When Kakashi refuses to train Naruto for the Chunin Exams, Naruto decides enough is enough and trains himself for the exams. Only he does it in a way no one expected. Inside: no pairings yet, slight Kakashi bashing, Sasuke bashing, smart, calm Naruto.

**Salamander on the Grand Line (Fairy Tail/One Piece fanfiction):** rating- T. Natsu defeats Acnologia at the Eclipse Gate, only to be thrown into the world of One Piece near death on the deck of the Going Merry, right when Nami betrayed Luffy. Now eternally stranded in this world, Natsu joins the Strawhats in accomplish one thing…Kick Igneel's ass for sending him here in the first Place! Inside: NaNa (Natsu/Nami) pairing.

**Dragons of Remnant (Fairy Tail/RWBY fanfiction):** rating- T: Natsu, Gajeel, Cobra, and Windy end up in the Emerald Forest during the Beacon entry exam. Ozpin invites them to attend Beacon.

**Magic and Chakra (Harry Potter/Naruto fanfiction):** rating- M: Voldemort, when trying to kill Harry and his twin brother, sent Harry to the Elemental Countries, where Anko found him. Years later, his family finds a way there to seek refuge from Voldemort's influence over Britain.

**Dragon's Call (Fairy Tail fanfiction):** rating- T or M, not decided yet: The Tenrou team barely escapes from Acnologia's wrath. However, after an annual Fairy Tail New Year's bash, Natsu, Gajeel, and Windy are plagued with horrible nightmares involving a faceless assailant and several old ruins. When they go to investigate, they discover secrets that should've been kept hidden. Inside: NaLu (Natsu/Lucy), GaLe (Gajeel/Levy) pairings.

**Tales of the Strawhats (One Piece/Tales of the Abyss fanfiction):** rating- M: Kuma inadvertently sent all the Strawhats to the world of Auldrant. Sorry about the lack of description.

**Dragon, Fox, and Vampire (Fairy Tail, Naruto, and Rosiaro+Vampire fanfiction):** rating- M: Natsu is sent to Yokai Academy (**is this spelt right?**) by an unforeseen force during the fight with Acnologia on Tenrou. Naruto is sent there via Kurama tampering with the seal in order to save him from Madara. Now, the two must deal with becoming a full dragon and kitsune, respectfully, while dealing with… [shudder] high school. Inside: Natsu/Inner Moka pairing, Naruto/Outer Moka pairing, Tsukune/Mizore/or Kurumu pairing, Badass/Monster/Tsukune.

**All in the Past (Naruto fanfiction):** rating T: Team 7 is thrown several years into the future and discover they might be able to change the future. Inside: Ninja/Kage/Inari among other things.

**DragonKnight (Fairy Tail fanfiction):** rating M: Natsu and the other Dragon Slayers are kicked out of Fairy Tail for a crime they didn't commit. Furious, they create a Dark Guild hell bent on clearing their names. Inside: NaZa (Natsu/Erza) pairing eventually, eventual GaLe (Gajeel/Levy) pairing, eventual LaMi (Laxus/Mirajane) pairing, dark Dragon Slayers.

**A Different Approach (Harry Potter fanfiction): **rating M: A simple choice can change everything. Tom, before he became Voldemort, discovers a book in the Restricted Section that would change the Wizarding World for the better. And what would happen if a Harry from this reality met a different Harry, in whose reality Voldemort was evil? Inside: Dark, but Good Tom/Voldemort, Evil Dumbledore, Dark Harry, Harry multi (Hermione, Susan, and Daphne), Alive James/Lily, Manipulative Dumbledore.

**Lords of the East Blue (One Piece fanfiction):** rating T: The Strawhats die at Raftel by the combined might of Akainu and Blackbeard. However, Gold Roger appears before them and sends them back in time to become stronger. Inside: LuNa, ZoRo (Zoro/Robin), SaHa (Sanji/Hancock), UsKa (Usopp/Kaya), Chopper/OC, Franky/?, Strong StrawHats!

**One Little Slip (Harry Potter/One Piece fanfiction):** rating- T: This is inspired by _Pirate Malfoy_ by **solarbear** and challenge 91 from **TheBlackSeaReaper**, but that's about it**. **Draco and Hermione slip down into a small pond in the Forbidden Forest during their first detention and wash up on an island in the East Blue. Years later, they join the Strawhats. What misadventures will come their way with these two on their crew? Inside: eventual Dramione (Draco/Hermione), somewhat smarter Luffy, LuNa.

That's it for now! Review or PM me on which you would like to see me write or just tell me to wait until I'm close to done with the seven I got! Let me know what you guys would like to see! 'Till next time!


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